After departing Terry we road on some terrible roads. Very corregated, sandy and dusty. We happily pulled into Old Laura to look at the old remains of a self sustainable farm station over 100 years old. It’s now deserted but had once farmed cattle, contained a steel factory and a house for Aboriginal farm workers. Quite incredible in the middle of nowhere. After having a walk around the grounds looking at the structures we head off again on the Peninsula Developmental Road.
By the time we reached Laura for lunch we were covered in red dirt. Laura was a small town consisting of 2 shops, one housing a barramundi burger for the price of $18.50. Im not sure what they were thinking, this isnt a burger shop in Sydney with a veiw of the Harbour. You would be lucky to see a geeko out here. I settled for a $6 toastie with cheese and tomato.
From Laura we continued on worse roads than what we had experienced before lunch. The corregation was larger, like 2 sharp speed bumps per meter continuously for hours and the occasional pockets of deep soft sand. I could feel the sun’s rays blistering through the mesh in my jacket as though every inch of my skin was burning underneath. I was sweating everywhere possible including the tops of my hands and front of my knees. It was my most difficult day on the bike so far and i was completley and utterly fried by the time i reached Musgrave station.
Rob asked me on arrival as we filled our bikes up with fuel “Do you want to stay here its $10 each or in the free camping down the road?
I could tell Rob would have been happier with free camping as we are both on a budget. I was however covered in dirt and as stinky as a teenage boys armpits prior to him discovering deodorant as i had run out. Thats right, i was feral. To be fair, Rob was too but he never seems to mind as much. $10 sounded like a cheap price for unlimited shower power, i was in.
We set up our tent close to the lake with only barb wired fencing separating us. On another side there was a paddock with about 10 horses. We were surrounded and the owner informed us there were fresh water crocodiles in the lake that he feeds daily at 5pm. He let us know there was only one big fresh water crocodile in there but she is harmless. It didnt stop me from putting the bikes between the tent and the lake that night.
The next morning we packed up and had breaky as fast as we could, so we could leave before it got too hot. We found ourselves once again chatting to the friendly owner as the horses strolled around the front of the roadhouse. The owner runs laps around the park daily doing so many different jobs, always busy. He let us know that the two men sitting a few tables over were walking. ‘Walking where?’ I asked. Our current location had taken us half a day to ride to and there was nothing else in between.
Walking from the tip, the most northern point of Australia to the most southern in Tasmania. Walking!!!
The owner left so i said to Rob ‘lets go talk to them.’
He shook his head as he was keen to get on the road but i was too intrigued. I needed to know the hows? whys? So as soon as Rob set off to the toilet off i went to ask so many questions they have probably answered 100 times.
There names were Fred and Alex. One from New Zealand and the other from Germany. They had recently walked the length of NZ and Fred had previous done one of the great treks through Europe.
They were just doing it for themselves. No charity. They literally just liked to walking. They realised that the distances between stations at the top end were hot, dry and had a lot more people on it than anticipated (but it was school holidays)
Their next stop was 15 days away. One of the longest trecks inbetween stations they were to come accross. They had to pack less water than they felt comfortable with and more food just to get there. They had 1 outfit including the 1 pair of shoes on their feet. Alex and Fred had decided to make a sign and hold it up to ask for water as people were passing as they couldnt physically carry enough if they wanted to.
I was in awe. I thought they were crazy to walk that far but understood the self saticfation and growth that comes from exploring the unknown. Its not something that can be taught in a book or documentary no matter how many places you find out about. Its not something that can completley be described to a person as ones perception of the world is completly different to another. Its something you just have to do, and hopefully the people or person you choose travel with is excited to explore the unknown too.
2souls2wheels 